clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

How to watch, what to watch for on June 18th of the 2021 MLB regular season

We take a look at the games on slate for Friday, June 18th in the 2021 MLB season.

Syndication: The Enquirer Kareem Elgazzar / The Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Baseball fans can enjoy another full slate of MLB action on Friday, June 18th with every team scheduled to play. All 15 games will take place at night, but it could be worth the wait with the number of solid matchups across the league.

Best Games To Watch

The Houston Astros will host the Chicago White Sox in the second of a four-game series starting at 8:10 p.m. ET. This will be the only matchup of the night between two teams already with 40 or more victories. Chicago has the best record in the American League at 43-26, while Houston is at 40-28 and sitting two games behind the Oakland Athletics in the AL West.

Another intriguing matchup to keep an eye on will take place on the West Coast as the San Francisco Giants are set to host a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies. San Francisco is coming off a four-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks and have the best record in the sport at 44-25. The Phillies have an exact .500 record at 33-33, but they have been hot recently, winning five of their last seven games as they look to close the gap on the New York Mets in the N.L. East.

Fantasy Spotlight

The Brewers have been sliding lately, losing four in a row to fall out of first place in the National League Central, but they will send their star Corbin Burnes to the mound against the Colorado Rockies. Despite just a 3-4 record, Burnes has a 2.27 ERA through 11 starts. He allowed nine hits and three earned runs in his last start, but he is in for a bounce-back performance even with the altitude in Colorado.

If you are in need of a player to get on base, Nick Castellanos has been a star for the Cincinnati Reds with the highest number of hits and best batting average in baseball. He has a streak going in which he has recorded at least one hit in 30 of his last 32 games. Castellanos is worth a high DFS price in his matchup against the San Diego Padres.

Rookies to Watch

White Sox catcher Yermin Mercedes has been in a little bit of a slump recently with three consecutive games without a hit. Still, he is batting .275 with seven home runs this season and a big part of being a big leaguer is staying consistent. We’ll see how he does the rest of the weekend in a big-time series with Houston.

Reds third baseman Jonathan India does not have the best statistics with a .257 batting average with six homers through 57 games, but he is very good at getting on base for the Cincinnati lineup. His on-base percentage is at .367, and he is coming off a two-hit performance against the Padres with a home run.

MLB regular season schedule for Friday, June 18th

If no streaming option is listed, game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions.

Indians vs. Pirates, 7:05 p.m. ET
Mets vs. Nationals, 7:05 p.m. ET
Athletics vs. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. ET
Blue Jays vs. Orioles, 7:05 p.m. ET
Cardinals vs. Braves, 7:20 p.m. ET
Marlins vs. Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET
Twins vs. Rangers, 8:05 p.m. ET
Red Sox vs. Royals, 8:10 p.m. ET
White Sox vs. Astros, 8:10 p.m. ET
Brewers vs. Rockies, 8:40 p.m. ET
Tigers vs. Angels, 9:38 p.m. ET
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. ET
Phillies vs. Giants, 9:45 p.m. ET, Peacock
Reds vs. Padres, 10:10 p.m. ET
Rays vs. Mariners, 10:10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/MI/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA) or Call or Text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789. 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IA/IN/CO/IL/TN/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.